Cracks In The Seam
by JENTWCSINYFAN2
Summary: Derek Morgan Post Restoration and how it affects him. There may be a time jump in this when Derek has a foster son Jamal . Sorry I didnt't explain it in the chapters but I had the idea come to me out of nowhere so I went with it . He would be an awesome dad.
1. Chapter 1

Cracks in the Seam: Derek Morgan after Restoration. The affects that dealing with Carl Buford and revisiting all of that have on him even though he is trying to be strong. Tony Dinozzo is also on the team but this is mainly Derek centered because it has been in my head for a while.

The team had just returned from Chicago and were heading into the bureau for a few minutes and then home. Derek Morgan noticed Penelope Garcia heading toward him looking worried. He said "Hey there's my baby girl and she is looking fiery in that red dress just for me."

Penelope looked at him. "You look tired shug do you need sleep more than movie time tonight?"

He said "Sorry but yeah I do. I need to get a hot shower and then reacquainted with my bed sweet lady, can I get a raincheck?"

She nodded. "Shrek is always available for you, as am I."  
He kissed her cheek gently. "Thank you honey, if I need anything I'll let you know."

She rubbed his arm. "Just go take care of you now. That's most important."

"There's some of mama's cherry crisp in your lair as well as peach cobbler. She sent both since she got on a baking spree when I was home and well for the team."

Penelope smiled. "I'll be sure to thank her." She hugged him and watched him head to the door.

Then she saw Rossi watching them and walked over. "How is he really?"

Dave said "Tired. He was also quiet but focused on the case. He knows we're all here if he needs us. We just let him decide when he does kitten and watch his back. "

She nodded. "I'm all over that." She smiled.

Rossi said "We have a 48 hour stand down and I for one am going home to not think of this place during that time."

Penelope smiled. "Good after I shut down my babies I will do the same."

The team left the building with their own plans on their mind.

Two weeks later: Penelope watched him as he stood at one of the few windows in the BAU. His head lowered into his hands for a minute and then lifted back up. She watched JJ hand him a tissue but knew not to press him about not feeling well at that moment.

She walked over and said " Hey hot stuff thought maybe you could use a hug."

He smiled. " I can always use one of those from you sweet thing."

She hugged him and he headed into the conference room before the team would be in there.

He made himself some tea that was cinnamon flavored and added some honey to the mug before he sat down at the table. He drank it slowly as the team came in.

They were going over the details of the current case when " Hgnxt."

Rossi said "Salud."

Derek said "Thanks." Then he sniffed softly.

Hotch said " Derek I'd like you to stay back and get some rest on this one. We have Tony here now so we'll be ok."

" Ok." He said .

Then Hotch looked at Garcia. " You know what to do from here."

She smiled. "On it my liege, be safe." The team left the conference room then.

Derek headed into Penelope's lair and sat down on her couch slowly. "I don't feel so good."

She said "I know. Do you want to go home?"

His hand reached for some tissues on one corner of her desktop. " Shit." Then he sneezed again. " Achoo."

" Yeah I want to go home." He blew his nose.

" My head feels like it has concrete and feathers in it at the same time."

She ran her hand over his forehead. "No fever so you must just have a head cold chocolate thunder."

He sniffed again. " Yeah and I don't want to give it to you or the whole building if I can help it."

He stood and picked up his go bag and they headed out to her car. His truck could stay there for a few days and it would be fine.

They walked a little bit and Derek stopped for a minute and covered his nose with more tissues. " Need to sneeze, it's a big one." He stood there for a minute as his face fell. " Hurampchoo." It sounded like it had started at his feet and worked it's way up and out his nose.

Penelope said "Oh my noir hero you caught yourself one nasty cold. But I'll get you home to your nice soft bed soon."

He sniffed again. "Thadks. Hope you don't get this."

She smiled. " Your germs, nasty as they are don't work that fast . " She pressed a plastic squeeze bottle into his hand. "That's something a friend of mine at NCIS came up with for sneezes. It helps her during allergy season to ragweed which Abby and I have in common."

Derek nodded. "I'll try it later ." He blew his nsoe again quietly.

"It might make you sneezy but it will also clear your head out as well."

He said "When I get home I'll try it I probise."

She smiled. " You sound cute when you're stuffed up."


	2. Chapter 2

Later the same day: Derek's house

He said "I think I want to go to bed sweet lady."

Penelope replied "Good it might make you feel better, I think I'll look around and see if I can find any soup to make for you. "

He sniffled. "Thank you, make yourself at home."

She smiled. "I will, now go get some rest my noir hero."

He headed back the short hallway to his bedroom while Penelope put down her go bag and turned on one of her babies to do some work. Luckily they had built in Wi-Fi so she could work anywhere. She decided to wander into the kitchen and see what he had for soup. She opened his freezer and found a plastic container marked mama's chicken soup.

That would be perfect she thought so she found a big pot and poured it in to start defrosting and simmering. There was also some crusty bread to go with it later.

After a few minutes Derek's cell phone buzzed on the table where he had put it with his car keys. Penelope smiled when she answered it. "Hi Mrs. Morgan its Penelope. Derek has a nasty head cold and he's resting at the moment. I just found some of your chicken soup and I am heating it on the stove for him."

Fran Morgan replied "Good that always helps him feel better. I know when he was on that case here that it was stressful for him even if he didn't want me to worry. I'm just glad that Carl Buford is finally gone for good and now my son can heal."

Then she said "How are you when you're not helping my boy feel better Penelope?"

Penelope said "I'm good actually .I've moved beyond Kevin and there is a new team member who I know likes me but I'm moving slowly with that."

"You can always have a new friend honey remember that. You need plenty of those with what you do all day. And you can talk to me anytime sweetheart."

She replied "Thank you that means a lot to me. Sometimes I miss that without my mom. Just to have her ask how I am. "

Fran said "You're family and I'm always here for you. You're a friend of Derek's so that makes things that way. Now I'll let you get back to helping him feel better and tell him to call me when he's feeling up to it. I know he likes to curl up in bed when he's sick. Just take care of you and I hope you don't get whatever he has."

She replied "Thank you I will. His germs don't work that fast even if they are nasty. I'll be fine, it was good to talk to you."

Then they hung up. Penelope went into the kitchen to check on how the soup was doing just as her own phone rang.

She smiled. It was Rossi. "Hello Dave. To what do I owe the honor my Italian Stallion?"

He replied "Just checking on Derek and well you."

"I'm fine, I'm making him some soup that I found of his moms for later. He's sleeping right now which he needs. He feels pretty miserable."

He replied "I know it takes a lot to get him to not fight being told to stay home off a case. Just be careful you don't get it." 

"I will. If it happens, it happens. He needs me and I'm here. "

Dave said "And we're here for you kitten. I'll let the team know and someone will be checking in later."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Prentiss is mentioned in here because she gave Derek a blanket. I know Restoration was in season eight but maybe in my mind she is still on the team for this fanfic. Thought I had better explain myself.

A few days later: Derek was still at home with his cold. He heard a knock at his door and coughed as he got up to answer it. David Rossi was standing there with a large bag in his hand.

"You sure you want to come in?" "This thing is pretty miserable."

"I'll take my chances besides I brought you some cold busters."

Derek sniffed. "Thadks."

"First we have the Rossi Italian Wedding Soup. Some people always recommend chicken but you've never had this."

"My mom sent chicken soup home with me but you never argue with Italian food."

Dave placed the bowl of soup on Derek's counter for a minute.

Then Derek's phone buzzed on his coffee table. He picked it up and said "Hey Baby girl."

"Hey sweetheart, did Rossi get there with some cold things for you?"

"He's here right now. Brought me Italian Wedding Soup even."

"Good, we just want to help you feel better angel."

"I'll be back kicking down doors in no time."

"I know you will."

"And since I have company I will call you back later."

"All right good. Oh there will be a card from Henry when you get back."

"That's nice. He's a good little man."

"Yes he is, talk to you soon."

"You know it doll face." Then he hung up.

"So Rossi what else is in that bag?"

Dave said "Tea and honey and some yogurt."

"That's got Garcia and JJ all over it." He smiled

"They insisted that I bring it to you."

Derek looked into the bag further. "A fuzzy blanket." His face got pink for a moment when he saw it was from Prentiss.

"That's good for you, you need to stay warm." Dave smiled a little.

"It is soft." He pulled it out of the bag and spread it over himself a little. It was burgundy colored with some silver threads in it.

"If I want to try that soup, do you want any after I heat it up?" Derek asked Dave.

"I can handle that, you're sick. Why don't you stay comfortable kid?"

"It's been a long time since I had anyone like a dad in my life."

"Then I'm glad you let me do it Derek. The greens in this soup are packed with Vitamin C and my mother swore by it for even just chilly damp weather."

Derek curled under his blanket a little. "I bet your mom was something. I can see her teaching you pasta as little Dave."

He smiled. "In Italian houses you learn sauce first, then once you master that you graduate to pasta. Sometimes even pizza." " Let me get this soup heated for you and we'll talk more."

Derek nodded and got more comfortable on his couch as Dave stepped into his kitchen for a few minutes. This place was one of his properties that he had restored for himself instead of selling. It suited him Dave thought. Poor kid looked like crap. Pale and runny nosed. Clearly this cold had gotten a hold on him and bitten him in the ass hard. But his soup would start helping make it better.

He found a big pot and poured the soup into it and then placed it on the top of the stove. He also pulled out some bread that he had brought with him. He could see Derek hadn't been eating a lot while he had been sick either.

He put the soup on simmer and then went back to the living room.

" You know sometimes when I don't feel great I kind of want to hide a little." Derek said.

" I think everybody does."

" My sisters call it my turtle time because my head goes into my shell a little."

" I like that and I can understand it."

" Thanks Dave."

" You're welcome. The sooner you get back on your feet the women at the bureau will have their crush back."

Derek said "I hear things . But also about you in jeans my friend, you have quite a few admirers yourself."

Dave shrugged. "The flattery is nice and good for my ego."

" You just need a honey." Derek said

" Maybe I do."


	4. Chapter 4

Derek decided to go back to work a few days later. He had a sniffle that was hanging on but he felt much better than he had been. He walked by Garcia's lair and poked his head in the open doorway. "Morning baby girl."

She said "Hey hot stuff how are you feeling?"

"Still have a sniffle but I also have some of your feeling icky tea right here." He smiled and swallowed some from the thermal mug that he had brought in with him.

"I'm glad you're back. Just don't push too hard ok?"

"Well I know I have a pile of paper on my desk so it could be from moving that around."

She hugged him. "Have a good day and I'll see you later."

He nodded. "Yeah if we have a case that I'm allowed on."

Then he walked down the hall to his office. He turned on the light and saw a bright colored envelope on one of the cushions of his couch and a stuffed tiger toy and smiled. The tiger had a note taped to him. "I'm here for when you need someone to watch your back besides Lady Penelope. Jack and Henry call me Toby but I can be Special Agent Tiger just for you." The note was signed Jack, Henry and JJ."

He opened the envelope and found get well pictures and cards the boys had made and taped them to his wall along with the tigers note behind where he was. Those were great kids. He smiled and sat at his desk to open a folder on it.

He started reading the request for a conference at a college to talk to the female students about campus safety and stalking and then put it aside to check with Hotch about going there to talk.

Then there were footsteps outside his door and Prentiss popped her head in. "So you're back on your feet again, heard you had a miserable few days."

"Yeah I did, one stubborn sniffle wants to hang on but I feel a lot better than when it first hit me. Plus I have Garcia's tea which kicks ass on anything."

She patted his shoulder. "Glad you're back. I like your new wall art and your friend." She smiled.

"JJ, Henry and Jack did that. He's supposed to be here to watch my back when Garcia can't do it. Think I'll keep him in here. "

"Nice. Those boys have big hearts."

"Yes they do. I need to write them a thank you note for that."

"Well I'll let you get back to it. Anytime you get away from your desk the paper doesn't stop."

"You're right about that, I'll find you later."

She nodded and headed back to her desk in the bullpen again.

Derek worked for a while and then Rossi popped his head in for a moment.

"Feeling better kid?"

"Yeah the soup helped a lot. Between that and Will's gumbo I only have one stubborn sniffle left."

"Good the greens in it do it every time. My noni taught me that when I was young. "

"You do her proud. I bet she was a pistol."

"She was. My mother's mom could make the soup and dads taught me my lasagna. They believed a man should know how to cook before he found the right woman."

He smiled. "You learned well."

"There is some extra wedding soup in the fridge. Brought some in for the team since I had some leftover. If you get hungry later, help yourself."

Derek nodded. "Thanks for everything."

Dave patted his shoulder. "Just glad you're on the mend and back here again. It was a little too quiet."

Derek laughed. "Well then I might have to make some noise and pick on Reid."

"He's got some new statistics all about cold and flu season primed and waiting."

"First paperwork though. Have a conference a college wants me to do and some consults to look at."

"Go slow they'll keep." Dave said.

"I know and I'm sure there's a case pending."

"Always is my friend always is." Then he went back to his own office with a file folder in his hand.

He stopped at Hotch's for a minute though.

"So Morgan's back?"

"He seems better, said he has a little sniffle yet."

"Well we'll casually watch his back. I hope he didn't push it to come back too early."  
" I'll keep an eye on him and you know Prentiss will too."

"I don't know what that is but I am not getting involved."

"All right then." "Anyway I have a pile on my desk myself while there isn't a case at the moment. I know why I came back here but it sure wasn't the paperwork."

Hotch smiled. "That's one thing nobody ever misses."


	5. Chapter 5

He heard his foster son coming down the hall to his bedroom. It was about time for him to get up and make them breakfast anyway. Derek Morgan knew the boy had been through a lot in his short life in the other place he lived. Jamal still walked very quietly and would flinch a little when he heard loud noises or certain tones of Derek's voice. This had surprised the team when he had offered to take the boy in after a case.

" Dad, I got the paper and I poured the orange juice. All we need is cereal ."

" Very good little man. Let's go get on that." He got up and stretched before pulling on a fuzzy robe with the Batman logo on the back.

Jamal smiled. " All right. " The seven year old went down the hall before Derek. They were getting into a routine and when Derek had to go away Penelope would stay with Jamal and sleep on the couch . She adored him and gave him a hug whenever she came over to visit. Eventually things would be processed for them to stay together permanently but there were steps to follow first . And so far things were going well.

Derek got the cereal out and poured two bowls of Cheerios and added some raisins with the milk.

Jamal said " i wonder when i'll be tall enough to reach the place where it is."

" Soon enough. For now it's okay to just be a kid. "

The boy nodded. " Okay."

Then they ate their breakfast .

" Are you ready to go for school?"

" Yes, there's just one paper Ms. Daniels gave me. Something about meeting with her. All the kids got one."

" She just wants to have all the moms and dads know how their kids are doing. They have that all the time."

Jamar handed him the paper then.

Derek read it. " It just invites me to meet her and see your classroom and some of the work you're doing. This is a good thing." " In case you need help with anything then I will know that too."

" It will be okay. I know you are very good at math already ."

" I like counting and adding numbers . It's fun."

" That's great."

They ate their cereal and Jamar brushed his teeth. Then there was a knock at the door.

" Ms. JJ and Henry are here so let's get your backpack and sweatshirt buddy."

Jamal went to a corner of the living room and got his things before the door opened.

" Hey JJ, he's just about ready."

She smiled. " Morning Jamal, Henry's waiting in the car for you."

Derek and the boy hugged with a fist bump before he headed out the door with JJ. He was doing a good thing and knew that he would help this kid if given the chance. He just wanted to be a difference in someone's life.


	6. Chapter 6

" Derek you do know you're doing a great job with Jamal?"" JJ said later when they got to work.

" I hope so, he's been through a lot already and I want him to be able to settle and just be a seven year old. Sometimes he wants to be so grown up and able to do everything . He wanted to know when he would be tall enough to get cereal out of the kitchen cabinet this morning. Or tall enough to reach it ."

" I told him soon enough it would happen."

" If you need anything even a break from Dad time, Will and I are here okay."

" Thank you i'll keep that in mind."

" Good."

He walked over to his desk and started to flip through a file on it before they started the case of the day . He looked at it and saw that it was a report on his home situation from the department of children and family services. It was mostly positive but it mentioned the fact that he was a single father or hoped to be and stated that there was a need for a maternal presence in Jamal's life at some point. Otherwise the agency had no issues with processing the paperwork for Derek to formally adopt Jamal. There was a blood test result in the file as well and it showed that Derek and Jamal were actually really father and son. The woman who was his mother and who had died had dated Derek for a while and then left when she got tired of his job.

Her name was Gina Lopez. Derek's hand pushed the file off of his desk and everybody looked over in his direction.

" I need some air ." He went to the elevator and his clenched right fist tapped against the button switch.

Then the door opened just as Garcia walked up beside him.

" Not now Penelope."

She looked at him. " Well okay then Derek , when you're ready to talk you know where I am." Her hand squeezed his shoulder as the elevator doors closed.

JJ and Reid were picking up the folder off the floor and refilling the papers.

" Wait this is from DCFS about Jamal." Penelope said softly

" We know Derek was looking at it and something in it upset him." Reid said.

" They aren't going to take him away are they?"

" No it looks positive pretty much, oh wow." JJ said

" What , what is it?"

" Jamal is actually Derek's biological son. The mother was a Gina Lopez. It doesn't look like she told him or named him as the father, he found out that their blood types matched just now and that they were father and son."

Penelope sighed. " And now he feels bad because he didn't know. He would have been there for Jamal at the beginning ."

" He can be now." Rossi said . " Go find him kitten."

" On it." She knew a place where he went to think .

" I'll bring him back in a few minutes I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

Derek was outside on a bench not far from the entrance to the BAU. Penelope knew because he always went there when he had something on his mind or was just feeling raw. She walked over with a plastic bottle of Dr. Pepper and sat down beside him resting her hand on his elbow after handing him the cold drink.

" Hey i'm sorry I took your head off before ."

" Oh sugar our love is a rock, no bad day can come between us."

He smiled a little . " You're something silly girl."

" Yes I am but now that we've gotten that out of the way what can I do?"

" I don't know, I mean Jamal is really my son. I should have been there when he was born or at least known about him before he ended up alone in that building afraid of everything around him."

" Well it sucks that you didn't angel and she was wrong for not telling you , but look at what you have now . You have a son who is happy in your home and doing well since he has been there. You will get to make it official in a few more weeks and when the time comes you will find him the right mom. "

Derek took a drink of his soda. " You always know what I need to hear."

" I'm glad. You know everybody is here for you . Why don't you take the weekend and take a break from Dad time. I know JJ was talking about pizza and movies for the boys and you could just go out and have s meal yourself or something."

" I do want to fix Jamal's bookshelf, Reid gives him a new one once a month now."

" Good then you can get that done and anything else that he needs."

" Now I need to get back to the pile on my desk if I want to get out of here early."

" Thanks BabyGirl for being in my life. I'm very lucky to have you ."

" Yes you are but it goes both ways." She patted his chest.

" Now lets go back inside before they send out a search party."

They both stood up and went back into the bureau.

" Tony has extra leftover lasagna, come over for dinner tonight."

" Okay i'll see if Jamal is up for it after homework first ."

" Good you know the time and I might have a new board game for my god son."

" All right , he's mentioned Chutes and Ladders lately."

" Well that happens to be the one I bought ."

Derek smiled. " You know what Morgan men like."


	8. Chapter 8

Sometimes there were moments with the parenting thing that weren't so fun.

Two days before Jamal had brought a cold home . He had bounced back in two days. The same couldn't be said for his dad however. Derek coughed a little when he got up to make his sons breakfast. He poured some orange juice for himself . " Hey buddy , cereal is ready." His voice was a little raspy sounding.

"Dad are you feeling icky because of my cold?"

" I'll be fine little man, I just need a lazy day here on the couch."

" Mrs. JJ is going to pick me up and Aunt P will be over to help you feel better later."

" All right , after you brush your teeth we'll get your school bag and coat ready ."

Jamal went down the hall after he finished his cereal and just before JJ knocked on the door.

" Hey Derek."

" JJ, morning."

She said "I heard you weren't feeling well. What if I take Jamal overnight?" " It's Friday and he can hang out with Henry, plus we have pizza too."

Derek nodded. " But when you and Will want a date night I'll take Henry."

Jamal came down the hall and he and Henry fistbumped and said hello.

JJ said " Would you like to stay at our house tonight Jamal? We can have pizza and a movie."

Jamal looked at his dad. " Can I?"

" Sure buddy, just get your overnight bag. It has clean oajamas in it and underwear. All you need are clean clothes, your toothbrush and your bear ."

Jamal went down the hall with Henry to get his things.

"Are you sure Joey won't miss me too much?"

Joey was their one year old female rescue cat with one eye . Jamal had wanted her at the shelter when he saw that everybody else was adopting kittens and didn't want a cat that had been on the street."

" I'll throw her play ball extra for her tonighf."

Jamal nodded . Then he hugged his dad. " Cover up with the blanket on the couch and drink lots of juice."

" I will little man I promise. You have a good day at school and I'll call you later to say goodnight. I'll see you Saturday ."

Jamal nodded.

JJ said "Feel better Derek and listen to your son."

He smirked a little. "If I don't you'll go mama lion on me."

She laughed. "You know I will."


	9. Chapter 9

Sometime later at Derek's:

There was a knock on the door just as Derek was finishing another glass of juice. He got up off the couch and answered it.

Penelope was there in red with a brown bag beside her and her laptop one as well.

" Oh honey you don't look well at all. Let me see if I can make it all better."

" it's a cold babygirl. One of the joys of being a dad."

" Well lets see if we can get your voice to sound a little less like smooth jazz though it is tres sexy."

" And someone wants to give me extra love. Thank you."

She placed the brown bag on his coffee table. "I also have some cold supplies from various people that care about you."

She pulled out some cough drops, extra soft tissues, one of her tea collections and a bear with honey in it. As well as some nose spray and DayQuil as well as NyQuil for when he wanted to sleep at night .

" Well it looks like I have my own personal pharmacy here."

" Oh that reminds me , the brown wrapped package is from Rossi. Said it's an old family remedy that will kick butt on your cold. The instructions are inside but he recommended it when you want to sleep. Said it could knock you out."

Derek nodded. " We'll save that for tonight."

" I also brought your favorite movies. So why don't you get comfortable on the couch and we'll watch some Star Wars. I also snuck in The Lion King."

Derek smiled. "All right sweetness . Let's have a sick day movie marathon right here,". He walked to his couch.

Penelope put a pillow on her leopard print leggings and said " Rest that congested though gorgeous head here and we will go to a galaxy far far away."


End file.
